Euphorbia plant named ‘Bonpriho’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Euphorbia  plant named ‘Bonpriho’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; medium green-colored leaves; inflorescences with white-colored flower bracts; and good post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BONPRIHO’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia plant, an interspecific hybrid botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bonpriho’.

The new Euphorbia plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch identified as code number 127, not patented. The new Euphorbia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within a population of plants of the parent selection in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia in March, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Euphorbia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since December, 2002 has shown that the unique features of this new Euphorbia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bonpriho’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bonpriho’ as a new and distinct Euphorbia plant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Medium green-colored leaves.     -   5. Inflorescences with white-colored flower bracts.     -   6. Good post-production longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Euphorbia differed primarily from plants of the parent selection in flower bract color as plants of the parent selection had pink-colored flower bracts.

Plants of the new Euphorbia can be compared to plants of the Euphorbia pulcherrima×Euphorbia cornastra ‘Eckcory’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,849. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Euphorbia differed from plants of ‘Eckcory’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia had longer and narrower leaves         than plants of ‘Eckcory’.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Euphorbia had more flower         bracts than inflorescences of plants of ‘Eckcory’.     -   3. Plants of the new Euphorbia and ‘Eckcory’ differed in flower         bract color as plants of ‘Eckcory’ had light red purple-colored         flower bracts.     -   4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Euphorbia had more and         larger cyathia than inflorescences of plants of ‘Eckcory’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Euphorbia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Euphorbia plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonpriho’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Bonpriho’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and herewith described in detail were grown in 13.5-cm containers during late autumn in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under environmental conditions and cultural practices which approximate those generally used in commercial production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night temperatures averaged 13° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were four months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fourth Edition, 2001, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex     Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra ‘Bonpriho’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary     selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch identified as     code number 127, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About one week at 20° C. to             25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two weeks at 15° C. to             20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at 15° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit and form.—Upright and mounded plant habit;             inverted triangle; inflorescences positioned above the             foliar plane; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 61 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 60.7 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: Freely branching             habit, about eight lateral branches develop per plant;             pinching is typically not required. Length: About 47.8 cm.             Diameter: About 5.1 mm. Internode length: About 3.9 cm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             developing: Close to 144A. Color, mature: Close to N199A to             N199B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 11.7 cm. Width: About 4.6 cm. Shape: Narrowly             elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Acute to obtuse. Margin:             Shallowly serrated. Venation pattern: Pinnate, reticulate.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower             surface: Scabrous. Color: Developing and fully expanded             leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A to 143B; venation,             close to 145C. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 138A; venation, close to 145C. Petiole:             Length: About 3.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.6 mm. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 145A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the             cyathia; inflorescences positioned above the foliage.         -   Quantity of inflorescence.—One inflorescence develops per             lateral branch.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants typically flower during the             autumn and winter in Japan; inflorescence initiation and             development can also be induced under artificial long             nyctoperiod/short photoperiod conditions; early flowering             habit, plants flower about 50 days under natural season             conditions in Japan.         -   Post-production longevity.—Good post-production longevity;             plants of the new Euphorbia maintain good substance and             bract color for about seven weeks.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 13. Length,             largest bracts: About 5.4 cm. Width, largest bracts: About             2.2 cm. Shape: Narrowly ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse.             Margin: Shallowly serrate. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Aspect: Close to perpendicular             to the stem axis. Venation pattern: Pinnate, reticulate.             Color: Developing or transitional bracts, upper surface:             Close to 154D tinted with close to 27D. Developing or             transitional bracts, lower surface: Close to 154D. Fully             expanded bracts, upper surface: Close to NN155A slightly             blushed with close to 27D; venation, close to 143C and 183D.             Fully expanded bracts, lower surface: Close to NN155A.             Flower bract petiole: Length: About 9.5 mm. Diameter: About             1 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145B and 18D.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About nine. Diameter of             cyathia cluster: About 1.4 cm. Length, individual cyathium:             About 6 mm. Diameter, individual cyathium: About 4 mm.             Shape, individual cyathium: Globose. Color: Close to 143B to             143C. Nectaries: Quantity per cyathium: One or two. Size:             About 3 mm by 1.6 mm. Color: Close to 154A to 154B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 1.2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 145A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: Few.             Anther shape: Lanceolate or globose. Anther length: About 1             mm to 3 mm. Anther color: Close to 4D. Amount of pollen:             Scarce to none. Pistils: Plants of the new Euphorbia do not             develop pistils.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Euphorbia     plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 8° C. to about     40° C. 

1. A new and distinct Euphorbia plant named ‘Bonpriho’ as illustrated and described. 